I absolutely loved The Bell Witches. I was lucky enough to be sent the audiobook for my honest review. I couldn’t stop listening to it as it had me enjoying every chapter. I loved how the characters interacted with each other and the history between the different character's.

This was my first book by Lindsey Kelk and it's definitely made me want to read more in future!

This book follows Emily who moves to live with family she didn't know she had after her father dies, but soon discovers they are hiding magical secrets.

This book was so atmospheric and the perfect read for the autumn months. I loved seeing the different kinds of relationships in this book as Emily gets to know her family and the complex feelings there, as well as new found friends.

I was gripped throughout this story and excited to see how it would all play out and what would be revealed. I could really imagine the scenes playing out in my head and it reminded me of 90s style witchy tv show which was very enjoyable for me.

I thought the narration for this was fantastic and clear. I really enjoyed reading the story via audio.

Overall, I didn't think this story was particularly unique but I did find it fun and these sorts of books are great for this time of year. I would definitely read more like this and would recommend it others.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for this early copy.

This is my first Lindsey Kelk book - much to the horror of my best mate Moira, who is a superfan! I listened to the audio and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a real sucker for a Southern drawl. I did find it a bit confusing that Em was represented by an American accent, despite being from Wales. The overall vibe is Anne Rice meets Alice Hoffman, albeit more YA friendly. The plot is engaging but we are left with a few more questions than I would have liked by the end of book one. Having said that, the scope for the series is potentially huge and I look forward to the next instalment.

This was everything i needed and more for October! It was so magical, cosy, and full to the brim with deep friendships, adorable romance, and complex secrets. It was a delight to read, with the story flowing effortlessly. There was just enough happening within the story for their to not be a dull moment, yet it also didn't feel over saturated and like it was trying to achieve too much.
I was a little skeptical about this as i've never tried one of the audiobooks off of Netgalley before, but it was enjoyable the whole way through. I think the narrator did a really good job of differentiating between the characters and keeping the story from falling flat.

This was so atmospheric and lyrical, with every chapter being a delight to read. It felt very reminiscent of certain witch focused films and tv shows, which made visualizing everything that was happening so much easier. I also think that this was just unique enough from other witch centered books to set it apart, and give something to the genre that i don't think there is enough of.

I also think this achieved a perfect balance between the experiences a regular teenager might have, while at the same time putting this supernatural and 'other' twist on the overall story!
I feel like there are a lot of people who will be able to connect with the characters too.

Like i said, an absolute joy to read! I can't wait to see what other books this author comes out with!

This was a cosy book filled with friendship, romance and mysterious family secrets. It was easy to read, but not in a way that it was simplistic. A cute autumnal read 👌🏻

**Listened to the audiobook**

This is a huge departure from Lindsey Kelk's previous books, a brand new genre! I was dubious, but I really really enjoyed it!
I thought the narrator was great, and played the part of the different characters really well. It helped to differentiate between the characters.

This book created such an atmosphere when reading/listening. It felt like the kind of fairy tale stories from when I was a kid, but with a little more grit. You could clearly see that Kelk had taken inspiration from the best witch literature and tv/films from the last few years.
I wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next instalment!!

Well this was such a good surprise! I’ve never read Lindsey before, I have meant to, but just haven’t got round to it. I’d seen a lot of buzz surrounding this story, which is a very different direction for Lindsey. The Bell Witches is a mythical, witchy tale and definitely perfect for spooky season. I wasn’t sure whether this was a standalone, but finishing the book, it has kind of left it open, so I’m excited to see where Lindsey will take the story. I’ll say we are left with a happily for now situation.

When her father tragically dies, sixteen year old, Emily has nowhere else to go apart from thousands of miles away to Savannah, Georgia and live with her grandmother and aunt. There she adapts to life in warmer climates under the guidance of Catherine, her grandmother. She learns all about the history of Bell House, mingles with the locals, discovers the best Ice Cream ever and meets the elusive Wyn. Emily then starts to have strange visions, experiences and she soon learns from her grandmother that she is in fact a witch - quite possibly a very powerful one.

The audio narration for this story was extremely good, I thought Ashleigh did amazingly bringing all the elements to life. The writing was very engaging and I was gripped from the first chapter.

My only little issues was that it did drag a wee bit in the middle but then really picked up again from 70%. The insta love between Emily and Wyn was maybe too insta for me.

Anyway I really enjoyed this story and I will give it 4 and a half stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you Harper Collins for the audio arc!

A wonderful tale of a girl whose life is turned upside down when she returns to her unknown, and new family home.

I loved this audiobook, the narrator was fantastic and really pulled me in to the story, I couldn't stop listening. And when I did I couldn't stop thinking of what would happen.

Lindsey Kelk is a great author and I love her descriptive writing. Creating a world of magic and mystery, the twists and turns had me hooked.

My one development would be that the romance was too insta love for me personally.

I'm excited to read the next book and incredibly grateful to have been able to listen to the audiobook early. Thank you netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for giving me early access!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio review copy. I really enjoyed this narration, and I flew through this book. Emily’s accent is described as being a mix of a lot of things, but I’m kind of glad the narrator just stuck to a simple accent.

After the sudden death of Emily’s father, she finds herself moving from Wales to Georgia to live with an aunt and a grandmother she has never met. Emily begins to realise that her family holds a magical secret, and things only get more complicated when she meets a guy called Wyn.

The Bell Witches is set in Savannah, and the descriptions of the setting was one of my favourite parts of the novel. I’ve been there before, when I used to live in Georgia, and it was so fun reading about places I’ve visited. Lindsey Kelk immerses the reader into the heat and humidity of Savannah as if we were part of the story itself.

I loved learning a lot about the history of Emily’s family, and how witches came to Savannah in the past. The author artfully intertwines moments from the past with a modern setting to provide a really intriguing contrast. I found Catherine and Ashley both very interesting from the beginning, especially since they were both quite hard to read.

One theme that I love in YA novels is the journey of self discovery. Emily is feeling lost after the death of her father, especially after she discovers so much she did not know about her own family. It was so satisfying to see her come into her own as the story progressed, and I was really rooting for her.

Although I enjoyed the book overall, the weakest part for me was the romance. I liked Wyn as a character, and them together, but it was a very instant connection, while I tend to prefer a slow burn. I know that’s how it often is in YA, but I found that I would have liked a bit more development. I honestly think a large part of this book would have been exactly the same even if the romance had been removed, but I liked the significance of the different side characters towards the end.

This read was really perfect for this time of year, not just because of the witches, but also because of the vivid setting. I would really recommend The Bell Witches, especially if you want a book that contains magic in a modern setting.

Gothicy
Atmospheric
Witchy
Cosy
Romance
Family secrets
Instalove

If these sound right up your alley then you need to dive into this book!

I loved all of the above, especially the instalove (yes I'm a fan) but I did feel like I was waiting, waiting for something to happen!

An enjoyable read for the season!

I thought this book was okay but nothing too unique. It has everything it needs for a good YA but just lacks the depth. I didn’t love how insta-lovey the love interests were — like after just meeting they have an “invisible string” that connected them? Just seems too quick.

I did find it predictable as well and not in a great way. It affected my read on it and kind of had me not feel as invested.

I did really love the narrator to the audiobook! She was great and I felt immersed in the story because of her. Probably the main reason I kept going as she made it an easy listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of The Bell Witches. This was a great cozy fantasy read with lots of mystery elements.

I really enjoyed the plot and the twists and turns, some of which I didn’t expect, and others more predictable, but the writing style was great and really brought the characters and town to life so even the more predictable parts were still shocking even when you knew it would happen.

I do think this is geared more towards a younger audience as some of the wording did come across quite young and cringey which did put me off a little (especially use of Rizz and Unalived which felt unnecessary). However I think it would be a great fit for ad for those who are on the younger end of YA or with some slight alterations to the wording it may improve the experience for more people depending on the target audience the author has in mind.

Overall still a really cute witchy read perfect for the time of year and going into gloomy colder nights. Perfect for the right audience.

I saw this advertised and knew I had to listen to it. I'm a big fan of Lindsey Kelk and was interested to see how she would do a YA series.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's a different writing style from her, which is to be expected, but it had me captivated from the start.
I liked the narrator although for some strange reason I didn't expect an American narrator - it made no difference though!
I'd say it's a cross between a modern day Sabrina the teenage witch, meets Twilight!
But written in a different way.
I'd definitely read the next book.
I liked the characters and knew mostly enough about them to be invested.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t really enjoy this one unfortunately. I felt as though the plot (her becoming a witch) just wasn’t enough to keep me interested because it’s been done so so many times and there wasn’t really anything unique about it. I also didn’t love the references and mentions of modern things such as TikTok it really threw me off. Thank you for the opportunity of reading this book

Thank you, Netgalley and Harper Collins audio for the audio arc.

Lindsey Kelk, thank you for writing this book. I made it last a week because I didn't want it to finish.

Cover: Amazing, the curiosity I got just from the cover. I know I'd enjoy the story inside.

Plot: Follows a young 16-year-old who loses a family member and goes back to the place where she was born. Her family is full of secrets, anger, resentment, and magic.

Storyline: The story was beautiful to read, and the narrator was great. Her voice was very calming. I enjoyed listening to the story and at times felt like I was there with them. The overall language used was easy to follow and made the story enjoyable.

Would I recommend the book to others: Yes! I would recommend the audio to all my friends and the book community who enjoy listening to a book.

In short : I lived this book and the narrator was amazing !! In longer :

Well, from the start to finish the author kept me invested and guessing what the hell is going on in this book. Reminding me of hocus pocus and practical magic, The Bell witches was a very fall, cozy and warm read for my really tired days after work.

I was a bit annoyed with “love” situation because I wanted more extended relationship, I think it supposed to be more time and “dates” before the “I love you” was said.

I really liked Lydia and Ashley, their characters were really adding more to the story and its vibe.

Overall, thank you so much for a chance to listen to this book… (not that I bought the ebook ir anything)

The Bell Witches by Lindsey Kelk

Not my usual genre but I was intrigued because of the author. I’ve read most of Lindsey’s other novels and really enjoyed them.

When 16 year old Emily’s father dies, she goes to live with her Grandmother in Savannah, Georgia ~ a million miles away from her life in Wales. Emily soon becomes aware of her family’s magical secrets, what it entails for her and why her late father hid it from her.

Kelk takes you on the journey of Emily’s discoveries, her relationship with Wyn and what it means to be a Bell Witch, sweeping you right into the gothic, witchy, atmosphere.

As I say, not my usual genre but it was so well written and I actually really enjoyed it. I listened via audiobook and liked the narrator’s reading voice which is always a bonus too! The Bell Witches is the first book in the series and is out now!

This was an intriguing start for a new series and a great first fantasy release from Lindsey Kelk. I loved the mystery aspect that came with this book, it kept me interested all the way through. I will be intrigued to see where this series goes from here considering the ending of book 1! I will definitely be continuing with the series.

This was fun, a really cool concept but i did want a little more from almost all aspects of the story

Not the one for me unfortunately. I wasn't absorbed by the story and found the narration off putting.